The Hero's Competition
by Silent Talking Disaster
Summary: DWIII/ A wannabe-adventurer inadvertently takes the task of saving the world into his own hands, having reason to believe that the 'brave daughter of Ortega' isn't up to the task.


_I don't own anything besides my characters and... whatever else I own._

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In the castle town of Aliahan there was a slight buzz of excitement in the air. Years ago their pride and joy, the hero Ortega, had ventured on a grand journey to rid the world of the evil that plagued it. Although his journey had ended in defeat, the world was not without hope: he had left behind a child that was destined to be a hero as well. Today was the day of that child's 16th birthday, and also the day that she would set out on her own journey to rid the world of evil once and for all...

'_It's like everyone and their grandpa is out there to cheer her on...'_ Demonta thought as he watched the townsfolk from his room at the Inn. Apparently today was the day Ortega's daughter Hira was going to receive a blessing from the King and begin her adventure to defeat the demon lord Baramos.

He had to admit that he didn't like Ortega's daughter as much as the other townsfolk, and in fact he didn't really like her at all.

The people of Aliahan liked Hira because she always attended church and events held by the town. They were nice to her because of who her father was, the fact that she'd grown up without him, and because he was dead. All of these reasons fueled Demonta's dislike for the girl, and his doubt that she would be the one to free the world from evil. Yes, Ortega had been a great warrior and she was his daughter, but she hadn't even met the man!

_'I've at least talked to the guy. She was just a baby when he left...'_ Of course, by talked to, he meant following Ortega around the town for a few hours, unleashing the curiosity that only small child could possess. If memory served, he learned that the world was a very big place filled with interesting sights and people. He also had the feeling that he had gotten one of those 'you can do whatever you want!' speeches...

His reminiscent moment was cut short as he noticed Ortega's wife exiting her house, followed by Hira, no doubt on her way to the castle. Demonta sighed as he watched them walk through the town, indeed heading towards the castle. The townsfolk looked on proudly, and he saw them offering what he could only assume were words of encouragement to their new hero.

Hira and her mother spent a moment at the walkway leading up to the castle, exchanging words, before the girl went on alone into the castle. The townsfolk seemed to disperse somewhat, going back to their usual activities. Demonta sighed and turned away from the window, snapping back to reality as he looked at the Inn room he sat in. This was where most of his time was spent when he wasn't just outside the town's walls, killing monsters for money to pay for it.

It was all a bit... boring. In all honesty the thought of an adventure was very appealing to him. He had to admit that the things Ortega had told him as a small child had sparked an interest in adventuring within him. He wanted to explore farther than just outside of Aliahan: he wanted to visit other continents and other kingdoms.

He also wanted to meet the people that lived in these far away places. Every day he saw the same old faces in Aliahan: Hira, the Innkeeper, the man that sold weapons and armor, and the old man that stood in front of the well all day...

On occasion he saw some new faces staying at the Inn, but they were usually gone first thing in the morning; due to his habit of sleeping in he never got the chance to strike up a conversation. The local tavern was said to attract a diverse crowd of travelers and other such people, but he had only ever gone there on one occasion a year or so ago.

Did he need the King's blessing to go on the adventures he craved?

He rose to his feet and slowly made his way out of the Inn, all the while looking towards the castle. If he was serious about going on an adventure, now was the time. If he waited until Hira had left, the King might decide that she was the only adventurer Aliahan needed roaming the world.

As he stepped outside, a gentle breeze rolled in from the west and stirred up some leaves that were strewn about on the cobblestones that lined the town walkways. He want a little out of his way just to kick at a leaf as it skittered into his path. He had the urge to go after the other leaves in his path, but he had the feeling that someone was watching him, so he straightened up and started walking towards the castle.

As he got closer to the castle, he thought about how big the stone structure really was. He usually spent his time outside the walls of town, fighting monsters and gazing at the sea. He always tried to see far away places on other continents, his back to Aliahan and it's grand castle, which he had never once been in.

This realization made him pause on the wooden bridge that connected castle and town. He had never been inside the castle. His imagination took off for a moment, and he pictured the interior as being glorious and golden, covered in monster furs, and crawling with ladies. Or not...Wasn't the King an old guy? Maybe it was just decorated like the church or something. He rubbed his chin in thought as he stared at the gray exterior of the castle.

_'Demonta! You're 10 feet away! Just walk in and see for yourself!' _He chuckled to himself and looked up at the sky, shaking his head somewhat. He hoped that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of the king. He wasn't some goof-off, but in comparison to Hira he was much more easy-going. Hopefully the king didn't have specific requirements for adventurers...

With the hope that he didn't, Demonta continued towards the castle with the best expression of determination that he could muster. The gates to the castle were still open from when Hira had entered, so he continued his stride, finally stepping into the castle itself.

The red carpet he found himself walking on was so plush and spotless that he felt bad for wearing his old pair of boots for fear that he would accidentally leave some unforgivable stain. Well, if he did, he could just blame it on Hira: the king would forgive her.

As he walked past them, the two castle guards gave him a nod and announced "Welcome to Aliahan castle!" Demonta grinned and nodded back at them, feeling significantly more important than he actually was. He got a bit of a swagger in his step as he saw the staircase that he assumed led to wherever the King was, which was where he needed to be.

He smiled and nodded to the guards who stood at the foot of the stairs, and took care not to trip or anything else that could ruin his chances at receiving the King's blessing. He _really_ wanted to go on this adventure.

He looked down somewhat and ran his fingers through his hair, hoping to make himself look presentable. He grinned and looked up, and found himself almost running into Hira at the top of the steps. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, weaving to one side while she moved to the other, the two nearly smacking into each other.

Hira glared at him as she continued down the stairs, and Demonta was knocked back down to feeling as unimportant as he usually did.

He overstepped and almost tripped as he entered the King's chamber, and the look on his face was one of confusion, discouragement, and embarrassment. It didn't help that he swore the guard at the top of the stairs chuckled at him...

He tried to quickly regain his composure as it sunk in that the King, his adviser, and two guards were all staring at him, probably wondering who the heck he was and what he wanted.

Demonta cleared his throat as he ambled towards the King. Any speech he had prepared was totally lost. He was going to have to wing it...

"Your Majesty..." he started as he stopped in front of the King's throne, looking between him and his adviser. "How may I help you?" the King asked, looking Demonta over. "Uhm well, y'see... I was wondering if, y'know, I could go on an adventure too..."

He mentally slapped himself. _ 'Way to sound adventurer-like...'_

"Hmm... Well I'm sure you know that Hira, the daughter of Ortega, is leaving today in order to defeat the demon lord." Demonta nodded, his stomach dropping somewhat. This is what he was worried about...

"Well your Majesty, all the better reason for me to go on an adventure too!" Demonta said, straightening up as he started to come up with a plan of attack.

The King tilted his head to the side somewhat and gave him a questioning look. He took it as a cute to go on.

"Well y'see, Hira, she's gonna have to go take down the baddest baddie out there. She doesn't need to concern herself with whatever small game is out there. That's where I come in. You let me go on an adventure, and I can take care of all that stuff so she doesn't have to."

He smiled hopefully at the King. That sounded way better than his original 'it's been my childhood dream!' route he was going to go before.

"Hmm..." The King stroked his beard somewhat and glanced at his adviser who gave him a slight nod. Demonta took this as a good sign and waited for the King to say something, anything, just so long as it was good for his status as an adventurer.

"You have a point... So. You'd like to go on an adventure as well? Fine! You have my blessing. But even if you are not going to be facing Baramos, you should not adventure alone. Go to Rudia's Tavern and find others to accompany you on your adventure. Good luck! I trust you'll make Hira's adventure an easier one."

Demonta nodded, a wide grin forming on his face. He was going to go on an adventure! Finally! He would have done some sort of celebratory fist pump, but a guard was standing in front of him, holding out a red velvet bag. He took the bag and nodded at the King again. "Don't worry, I will! She won't have to worry about anything else, not while I'm on the job!"

He gave the King a small wave and turned around, walking back towards the stairs. He took care not to fiddle with his hair or anything else as he began to walk down the stairs. He wanted to look to see what was in the bag that he had been given, but he figured one embarrassing incident in the castle was enough.

He slowly trudged down the stairs and towards the castle's entrance. He grinned at the two guards as he walked by them before exiting the castle. He walked a little ways and then paused on the wooden bridge, looking over at the water below. He chuckled quietly to himself, then let out a good laugh, shifting his gaze to the sky as he did so.

_'Help Hira out! Yeah right! She's Ortega's daughter! She can handle it, I'm sure.' _He grinned and shook his head, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Now," He said to himself as he began to walk again. "Let's go find some people to help _me_ out."

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_If you actually read this, thanks for reading! Reviews would be awesome: I wanna know what I can do better / what I messed up on~_


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